Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announced today four major consolidation measures "to cut costs and streamline services within municipal government," the leading one of which is the merger of the police and fire departments.

The ordinance to put the fire and police departments under one roof will have its first reading at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, and was debated at tonight's council caucus. Fulop has announced that New York City veteran cop James Shea will lead the new "Department of Public Safety," which would include the Office of Emergency Management.

“For years, there has been and abundant waste and duplication of services across all departments, which is something we identified during the transition,” Fulop said in a statement, adding that the initial savings of combining police and fire will be nearly $350,000 a year.

“Making municipal government more efficient is one of the top priorities of my administration and tonight we are beginning the process of eliminating waste and creating a government that works for the taxpayer.”

All but two of the nine members on the City Council ran on Fulop's slate when he was elected in May.

One of the independent candidates who won, former Jersey City police officer Richard Boggiano, who represents the Journal Square area, said tonight he didn’t think merging police and fire would lead to cost savings, adding the two departments don’t get along.

“You are going to create a lot of tension and discontent in both departments …I think it’s a foolish move on the part of the city,” Boggianno said.

Jersey City Heights Councilman Michael Yun, the other council member who ran independently and won, also didn't see how money would be saved. But he said he would support the plan to give Fulop’s initiative a chance, adding “if in six months the DPS is not providing what the city needs, then we should bring it up.”

In his statement, Fulop said the consolidation would eliminate the cost of two directors, as well as numerous other administrative costs. It would also facilitate better communication between the police and fire divisions, as well as enhance public safety for residents, the mayor said.

The administration is also introducing amendments to combine the Division of Architecture, and the Division of Engineering, Traffic and Transportation into a single division within the Department of Public Works.

The amendments would also create the Division of Sanitation under the Department of Public Works, to perform the services of demolitions, street sweeping, snow and ice removal, solid waste collection and recycling and graffiti removal.

Fulop is also renaming the Mayor’s Action Bureau the Resident Resource Center and making it a “one-stop-shopping” place for constituent needs. The city Division of Cultural Affairs, Senior Affairs and Veteran’s Affairs will be moved from the city Department of Health and Human Services and incorporated into the RRC.

The mayor’s initiatives will be introduced on Wednesday and will be up for final adoption in two weeks. Wednesday's meeting is at City Hall, 280 Grove St., starting at 6 p.m.